Magnesium-zinc alloy.



" rrni STATES PATENT 0 m.

ALTER intent, or BERLIN, GERMANY.

MAGNESIUM-ZIN'G ALLOY.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, VVALTER R-r'iBEL, a

subject of the King of Prussia, German 'Emperor, residing in Berlin,Beu'sselstrasse 27, Germany, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements n and Relatlng to the Manufacture of a- Magnesium-ZincAlloy, of

I low specificoweight but which will still present adequate strength.

In cases where lightness 1s of especial importance, some constructorsuse aluminunij This material presents a number of defects some of whichare that in the lathe it cannot be worked at all without employing oilor soapy water and it likewise presents far less resistance toatmospheric influences than was heretofore thought. Now it hasmanufacture a light metal meetingall requirements by alloying magnesiumwith zinc. As is known magnesium is specifically a very light metal. Ithas, however, heretofore been quite impossible to employ it for anyconstructional purposes because it is very'liable to produce reaction,and, for example, decomposes water even at in forming hydrate ofmagnesium; Its nechanical properties likewise do not fulfil practicalrequirements. Now these. defects have been obviated in a very surprisingmanner in that it is possible to convert magnesiumdnto a very valuable,high grade but light material, the specific weight. of A relativelysmall quantities of zinc.

An alloy consisting of 96% of magnesium which is approximately 1.8, byalloying with and 4% of zinc when cast presents a resist-" ance of from15 to 125 kilos; when rolled from 25 to kilos with a coeificient ofexpansion "arying from 8 to 12%. Satis factory alloys may be obtainedfrom not more than 99 percent. nor less than 94 per cent. of magnesiumand not less been found to be possible to u sion of air.

than 1 per 7 'cent. nor more than 6 percent. of zinc. In

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an. 17, 1911. Applicationfiled April '25, 1910. Serial No. 557,510.

the case of materials that are to be rolled or pressed the Zinc shouldpreferably not exceed 3%.

It is not necessary to use pure zinc. Satisfactory results can beobtained from zinc alloys containing a percentage of copper, or ofaluminum, or of such metals of the iron group as iron, nickel, chromiumand manganese.

The alloy may be prepared in a wrought iron retort over an ordinary coalfire. The

retort should be provided with a well fitting cover. The magnesium isfirst placed in the retort and when this has, melted the zinc (which mayadvantageously be previously heated) is added it melts at once andcombines with the magnesium. A readily fusible material is thus formedwhich canbe cast .in the usual manner and which aftercasting presents anentirely smooth surface; very little oxidation occurs on casting. Itwill be understood that the melting of the magnesium must take placewith the exclu- As already stated, the alloy obtained can be wrought androlled and presents the fracture of fine steel. Some mechanicalconstants have been enumerated above by way of example.

Various degrees of hardness and corresponding coeificients of expansioncan be ob- ,tained. The alloy can readily be wrought and cast and beturned like brass or copper without the use of soap or petroleum and italso resists the action of air and water perfectly v I claim: i Amagnesium-zinc alloy consisting of not more than ninety-nine per cent.nor less than ninety-four per cent. of magnesium and not less thanoneper cent. nor more than six perv cent. of zinc. p

In witness whereof I have s gned this specification 1n presence of twowitnesses.

WALTER RI'JBEL. Witnesses HENRY HASPER, EMIL KITTERTESOH.

